Monday, April 16, 2012

The Hunger Games: Killing the Game.

After reading The Hunger Games trilogy, I, along with almost everyone else in the world, was completely trapped in the series. I felt like I knew the characters personally, and I honestly felt like I was almost abandoning Katniss and Peeta by finishing the series (similar to how I feel after watching episodes of Friends).  Directly after completing the third book, I thought to myself "so... what do I do now?" And then I read about the movie being released. Yes.

When I heard about the movie, it's all I could think about. I was beyond excited. My cousins and I bought tickets for the midnight showing immediately after they were put on sale, and I swear it's all we could talk about. We watched trailers over and over again... actually ecstatic. We waited for hours outside the theatre  in anticipation, not doubting for a second how incredible these next few hours were about to be. And then we watched the movie. Oh my god. No.

How could a story with such potential and quality be so completely butchered? Not only was the casting and acting atrocious, but the plot was destroyed. The little things were exaggerated, the big ideas were underrepresented, and my worst fear had come true: The Hunger Games were about to turn into the Twilight series. Suddenly the story changed from being about the future, the harsh "government,"and the sick ways of the Capitol,  into a creepy, weird love story. It was no longer about the cruelty of the Games and the Capitol and how the main characters dealt with them, and instead was completely misinterpreted. Everything was wrong. I felt as if the entire movie was a parody of itself... as if I was watching a bad youtube video making fun of a good movie (similar to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgsIitK77yc).

Since when did Gale and Katniss have such a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship? Weren't their feelings for each other realized after the games? Why isn't Haymitch drunk? Don't Katniss and Haymitch hate each other... and don't they have an unspoken sort of "pact" (loving Peeta = survival)? Where's the avox girl Katniss recognized, and why weren't avoxes explained at all? Why do Rue and Katniss only know each other for 5 minutes... and why isn't it explained that Katniss become so attached to her because of how it makes her think of Prim? Why does it seem creepy how attached Katniss  is to Rue, and weird how she cries when Rue is killed? Wait, why did an uprising start in District 8 after her death... isn't that not supposed to happen until the second book? Why doesn't Peeta lose his leg in the end? What is going on...

The Hunger Games were killed for me. Rather than a powerful story on the importance of survival and family, the movie was twisted into a weird love story between Katniss, Gale and Peeta. I was so disappointed.

After watching this movie, did anyone realize the major differences between the book and the film? Was anyone else disturbed by how everything was shown in theaters? Does this representation of the book in theaters show that this is all really a game of the industry- who can make the most money off of a movie?

The Game of Life

It's 2:43 am and I can't sleep, so... what's there to think about when avoiding studying for final exams? Life, I guess. Here I am, wide awake in bed, thinking about current events. Am I going to get into all the classes I need next semester, even if I'm #28 on the wait list (ugh, late registration)? Should I complete my last semester of Spanish during Spring Term? Am I going to be accepted onto Birthright this summer? Will I get my internship in New York? I have so many goals and so much work to do in order to succeed; then I really started thinking... this is all about competition. Everything I have to do, everything I have to work hard for, it's all against other people in order to get what I want. All of these things I desire, I can only achieve them if I beat other people in getting to the finish line first.

This world we live in, our lives... it's all really a game. I mean honestly, there's even a board game called The Game of Life. Everything we do- even the small things, it's all a competition. For example, in order to get the internship I want for the summer, my resume has to be better than the others applying. If I want to get the best grade in my statistics class, I have to study harder than everyone else. If I want the perfect boyfriend and a later perfect marriage, I have to meet the guy and win his heart over first. In order to get into the college of my choice, I had to get the best grades and impress the admissions office the most. Although we don't always realize it, we constantly have to one-up the person next to us in order to do as well as we wish. It's all a game.

Now I'm not much of a philosopher, but hey, this idea is pretty interesting and definitely something to think about. Sure, not every situation requires being the best, but you sure as hell have to be near the top  if you want to be successful. We spend most of our lives being excited for events, dreading mistakes, learning from our experiences, and then depending on the future for our happiness. During this time, we realize who we are and what we want to accomplish, be apart of, and help to make better. We (usually unintentionally) make everything so complicated, when in reality, it's pretty simple. It's all a game. Once you've got the rules in front of you, it's all about working hard to be the best. With that said, is life really that hard? Or is the hard part really just figuring out how to play the game?

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Book Clubbin'

Alex, Chad, Amanda, Brigitte and I were in a book club together for The Hunger Games series. We met to discuss the books, our impressions, answer some discussion questions (which we recorded a few of here), and reflected on the movie that came out just a short while ago. While I loved meeting up with my beloved guild (whatsup guys), I think that for a book like the Hunger Games, a book club didn't exactly add much to my reading experience. I feel as though it was a book that could be understood on the surface, without much deeper reflection, and the same effect would have been left upon my finishing the book.

There were a few parts of the book that could be analyzed, and this gave me an insight to a way in which a book club could enhance the readers experience if the book was a bit deeper and gave more opportunity for analyzation and opinions. For example, when we talked about a modern example of something like the Hunger Games, we shared ideas that would have never crossed my mind previously. We talked about rushing a fraternity when guys are placed on pedestals, only to have to go through pledging after they are accepted. Or making livestock look appealing, only so that people may purchase them and slaughter them. There are a lot of things that I had never thought about before, But I'm not exactly sure they enhanced my reading experience, maybe my own personal thoughts outside the book.

I think a book club would have been helpful for some books I have read recently such as Sarah's Key, or The Art of Racing in the Rain (both great books I would highly recommend), where a book club would give the reader a chance to go more in depth with the point the author was trying to bring across. And in turn, possible help the readers take a look at their own lives and the decisions they are making.

I do think one thing that this book club did do, just as games do, was bring people closer together. I think that by talking about the book and our own experiences with it, how long we took to read it, what obstacles we had to dodge just to get every page read in a day because we were so obsessed, and more, bonded us in some way. We shared something in common and because of that we related to each other, and lead the conversation at some point far from the book and into our lives. As someone who loves making friends and hearing about other people's adventures, I loved every moment of it, and I think that is something that games in general can provide for people. An unspoken language, a bond that bring people together for a common goal. Teammates are one of the greatest bonds that I have made in my life, and I think through something like a constant book club, it can create a friendship circle that connects on another level.

Just as this class made our guild create new friendships through gaming and competing against other guilds, a book club presents that same opportunity. Over the summer my friend and I who are living in different cities are planning on starting our own kind of book club together where we can read books simultaneously and talk about them together. Although we will be in different places, this short insight to a book club reassured me that through the connection of reading the same book and having our own experiences that we share with each other, we will stay close and together.

Summer Internships: Help!?

Seeing as the list of topics that we can "gamify" has been almost entirely exhausted, I thought I'd focus my last blog post on something that many of us are probably looking for in the next couple weeks - internships. Those lucky ones that have had positions locked down for months - politely turn away, as this post is basically going to be a rant against the entire system.

When I first began looking for internships earlier this year, I knew my choices would be slim, as the summer after sophomore year is an awkward "in-between" point. You're just a little too old for remedial grunt work in an office, but just a little too inexperienced for a high-stakes internship. I began to reach out to friends of my parents and people I had interned for in previous summers, but had no luck. I applied for a laundry list of positions in sports, politics and business - basically any industry I was remotely interested in. Still, nothing came of it. Is it all some conspiracy to keep me perpetually bored at home for four months? Like so many things, obtaining internships can often be about who you know. While this system may be inherently unfair, it has panned out alright for me in the past, as I have had an internship every summer since 9th grade - up until now, that is. So what can we do to make this game fairer? Not much, it seems like, unless you expect 12 year olds to start networking with their parents friends, in anticipation of needing a favor seven years down the road.

Internships are all a part of trying to get ahead, and make your resume look better and better for job applications in the next few years. So if I don't get an internship this summer, then what happens? Am I inherently losing the game? I would hope not, and am going to try and take classes this summer to get ahead on credits. Maybe the game of obtaining a job has many planes, and since I may fall behind on one, I'm trying to get ahead on another. What do you think?

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Hunger Games and Language

When Robin Queen came to lecture to the class about language, the Hunger Games and the use of language came to my mind. More specifically, once the two competitors, Katniss and Peeta, were in the games, their use of language with their sponsor, Haymitch. There are sponsors that decide to protect players based on whether they think they are going to win, and once they have decided to follow a person, and in this case two people, they send gifts that come in parachutes to keep them alive. 


Haymitch controls the involvement of the sponsors in the game, so Katniss and Haymitch figure out a way to communicate without being able to talk. The two use language and signs to keep the two players in the arena alive. Katniss uses the timing of gifts to realize what Haymitch wants her to do in order to survive in the games. They are using an anti-language, since even Peeta can't understand what is happening, to communicate and keep the tributes alive. Because of this mutual understanding of language and the skills the two have to find a way to work with eachother, Peeta and Katniss are able to survive far longer than they would have without the help of the sponsors or the advice of Haymitch. Language was a big part of their games and their eventual success in the first book. 

Revenge!

So as some of you may have seen on Wednesday night at the end of game 1 of the Red Wings/ Nashville series, Henrik Zetterberg's head was bang into the glass by Predators defenseman Shea Weber. While there may (not) be debate over Weber's penalty for the play, he was nonetheless playing in game 2 last night.

Many people were wondering before the game how the Red Wings would respond in game two, not only after a cheap blow to one of their best players, but also after a tough loss. Enter Todd Bertuzzi. Not even two minutes into the game Bertuzzi already started a fight with Weber, trying to send the message, "Don't mess with my team".

This catapulted the team's confidence and eventually lead them to a game 2 win by the score of 3-2.

My question is, does this type of revenge have a place in the world of competition? While we can see it can help confidence and team chemistry, are there any potential downsides to it? Sure it is dangerous to go after another player and can potentially lead to someone getting hurt, but is the risk worth the reward? What do you guys think?

-Kevin





Friday, April 13, 2012

Relay For Life: Competing To Make Cancer Go Away Forever And Stuff

I need to learn how to write titles.

Relay for Life is an annual event held at many locations across the United States. The idea is that teams of people have one person walking around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Teams raise money before the event and during, through on site fundraisers and events the day of. All in all, it's a fun time for a good cause.

But there is a strange aura of competition surrounding this charity event. At every stage of money raising, competition is not only present, but encouraged. As a team captain, I am willing each member of our team to reach our goal AND raise us the most money. During the event, teams that raise the most money with on site fundraisers are rewarded. Two staples of the day of Relay, "Relay Idol" and "Mr. Relay," a talent show and men in drag competition, respectively, have winners determined by raising more money than other teams. Although in the heat of almost constant competition, nobody really feels like they are competing with each other. Every "win" for a team is equally as much a win for everybody involved. They won because they raised the most money, but either way, the money is still going to The American Cancer Society. That's a pretty beautiful thing in my mind.

Everybody competes. Those in need win. We all have a ton of fun doing it.

Relay For Life is tomorrow, Saturday the 14th. Come down to Palmer Field, participate in the day and some on site fundraisers, and come hang out at the RCPlayers site. We'll have cupcakes in a cone.

Oh. Did you hear that part. CUPCAKES IN A CONE. Yeah. That's portable America if I've ever seen it. Join us, won't you?

Chad Rhiness

The Hunger Games as Social Practice

In my opinion, there are many different ways to approach a series like The Hunger Games. The books have become extremely popular both nationally and globally, and are therefore subject to massive amounts of criticism and analysis. When I was going through our group notes, trying to find a topic that stood out to me as something to easily connect to the Hunger Games, I was immediately struck by one of our bullets on the day we discussed games as social practice. It reads: "Find some case where some kind of “outsider” has emerged in a sport that has challenged or changed ideas about social identities or that social practice." The task was to find a person in society who was a true outsider in their field, and somehow managed to have success in it. I couldn't help but see how this statement translates directly to the occurrences in the Hunger Games, with the evolution of Katniss Everdeen as a force both in the games and in Panem as a whole.

Before the 74th Hunger Games, it was uncommon for someone like Katniss Everdeen to win the tournament. For years, it was dominated by careers from districts that breed their children to win. However, Katniss had a distinct advantage with her years of hunting in the woods to support her family. She first identified herself as a true "outsider" at the tryouts in front of the sponsors, when she used one of her arrows to spear the buffet of food set out for the rich members. No one had ever so vehemently shown their distaste for the actions of the Capitol's citizens, so from the start she was a player to look out for once the Hunger Games commenced. Panem was soon captivated by her actions - from the way she took care of Rue to her staged love with Peeta, Katniss was defying all expectations of what tributes are supposed to act like in the arena. Her final action in the last book - the attempted double-suicide of both her and Peeta - is something the creators of the games could never have imagined. The action was so obviously disobedient to the rule of the Capitol that President Snow himself paid a visit to Katniss at the start of the second book, in which he threatened not only her life, but the lives of her family members, if she did anything to incite a rebellion on her victory tour of the country.


Before the Hunger Games began, Katniss never would have been anyone's pick to win the tournament. District 12 was usually dismissed early in the games, and Haymitch was their only surviving winner. However, with her hunting skills and creative, unorthodox methods, Katniss was able to emerge from the games victorious, alongside her supposed lover, Peeta. Their victory in the games changed so much about the way they worked that the 75th Hunger Games, a Quarter Quell, required two former tributes from each district to go back into the arena. As District 12's only options were Katniss, Peeta and the old, drunkard in Haymitch, it was very clear who was forced to go back. As this latest version of the games progressed, the beginnings of a revolution was occurring in the districts, and the second book ends with Katniss being rescued from the arena and taken to District 13. The entire country would soon be thrown into a civil war against the Capitol - with Katniss as the poster child for the revolution - and all of it began with the defiant actions of Katniss in the first book. 


Not only did Katniss defy social identities of the role of District 12 tributes, she caused almost every citizen of Panem to realize the idea of self-determination, as they soon decided that they had had enough of being controlled by the Capitol and President Snow. Suddenly, the practice of the annual Hunger Games and the extraordinary wealth in the Capitol compared to the twelve other districts seemed inhumane, and Katniss truly was the mockingjay that got the entire process started. Even at the end of the third book, when the new President Coin put forth the idea of a final Hunger Games using Capitol children, Katniss' supposed role was to go along with the idea. She was then to shoot President Snow and allow Coin to take control, but she once again pushed the boundaries of reasonable expectation by publicly murdering President Coin. The series is filled with these kinds of twists and turns, but each of them serves a distinct purpose - to prove that Katniss Everdeen is not controlled by anyone, and that at every opportunity she gets, she is inherently wired to rebel against the current status quo. In class on the day we discussed the quote I used above, some of the people we came up with that changed the social practice of their sport included Magic Johnson, the Williams' sisters, and the Jamaican bobsled team. However, none of them can hold a candle to the actions of the Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen.


- Alex Jacobs

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Game of NHL Realignment


Not to completely steal the topic of my fellow classmate Kevin, but with the NHL playoffs fast approaching, I knew I couldn't let the subject fly by without attaching it to this course on games. As a diehard hockey fan, I have always loved watching games where the fans are really into the action. Even though I am an American through and through, I have always had a love affair with Canadian hockey teams, because their fans are far more passionate than almost any you'll find in the United States. This is perhaps why the subject of NHL realignment is so fascinating to me, as I appreciate the idea of relocating struggling franchises to places where they will have a rabid fan base.

The most recent example of this is in Winnipeg, where the former Atlanta Thrashers moved at the end of last season due to financial difficulties, poor play on the ice, and ever-declining attendance in the stands. The Thrashers became the Jets, the same name that the current-Phoenix Coyotes had before they left the city in 1996. Throughout this past regular season, Winnipeg's MTS Centre was sold out for all 41 home games, and the crowd was known to be one of the best in the league. The new setting certainly had an effect on the players, as the Jets posted one of the best home records (23-13-5) for teams who did not end up in the playoffs, compared to the 17-17-7 record the Thrashers put up in Atlanta just a season earlier. The Jets greatly exceeded expectations and were just eight points out of the playoffs, and not mathematically eliminated until the final week. All of this information certainly supports NHL realignment to cities like Quebec City, who are certainly eager to do have what their counterparts in Winnipeg. But should the NHL go ahead with this "game" of shuffling franchises to cities with stronger fan bases?

In the early 1990s, the NHL took a chance by moving teams in dire financial straits to cities in the United States below the Mason-Dixon line. Raleigh, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas, Miami, Tampa Bay and Nashville all ended up with new or relocated NHL franchises, and the league hoped that they would help further the popularity of hockey in the South. Almost twenty years after this experiment began, the jury remains out as to whether or not this foray has worked. Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay have each won Stanley Cups in the past fifteen years, but in seasons where the teams aren't playing as well, ticket sales and attendance have plummeted. Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, has been around since the expansion/relocation movement began, and would not want to concede defeat by relocating teams to northern or Canadian locales. Still, many people see this whole process as a game, where one wrong step can result in a team being yanked from a city forever. Fans from Quebec have traveled to places like Phoenix and Long Island, New York at the first sign of a franchise's weakness, to show that their city is ready to support these struggling teams.

In a class where we have talked about how any industry, field or subject can be thought of as a game, it is interesting to see that in hockey, there is more than just the game that occurs on the ice. The entire National Hockey League is full of games within other games, and whether it is crowning another Stanley Cup champion (hopefully my New York Rangers) or pulling a team like the Phoenix Coyotes out of the desert and onto the frozen tundra of Quebec, every move made by the league is just another piece of the larger puzzle.


- Alex Jacobs

Monday, April 9, 2012

Draw Something

I play the new iPhone app Draw Something, which is like pictionary on your phone that you can play with your friends. There are some of my games that I can't wait to play, or get a drawing back from, but on the other hand I get really bored with some of my competitors. There are no rules of the game, but there are rules set for each individual game played from the start. Some people I play will draw words or phrases so that I can guess the drawing, and those are the games I dread the most.

This reminds me of the rules that are explained in rock climbing by Tejada-Flores in "Games Climbers Play." There are no written rules of the game that can be read when you start to play it, but rather you make them up as you go, and depending how skilled you are, you can adapt them for the game. Playing my art school friend provides a whole different gaming experience than playing my friend who has to rely on words to get the point of the drawing across. This is not something that is talked about, but something that is discovered and worked through within the first few rounds of the game.

I enjoy the games where no words are used, just like old fashioned pictionary, because it provides more of a challenge rather than writing out clues, but everyone has their own way of playing the game. Here are some of the best draw something drawings around:

http://bestofdrawsomething.com/

Relay for Life Benefit Variety Show!

Hey Bloggerdom,

This Wednesday my acting group, The Residential College Players, is having a benefit concert for Relay for Life. My improv group will be performing, so it's another chance to sneak in a live performance if you need some Minor Quest 2 juice. Also, if you're interested in performing alongside us, we're interested in any musical or comedy acts. We'll be auditioning people Monday April 9th in room AO3 in the basement of East Quad.

My major quest has been learning how to sing. I have written and am performing a song the day of the show. Anybody who would like a venue for a possible last hurrah for the Major Quest, this would be a great one.

Auditions will be from 7-10 on Monday the 9th and the show will start at 7:00pm on April 11th. If you'd like to attend we will be pre-selling tickets for 3 dollars. All of the proceeds will go to The American Cancer Society.

Please send any questions or comments along to me. I'd love to see you all there.

Chad Rhiness

Friday, April 6, 2012

The Madness Shifts

As all of you probably know, the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament ended earlier this week. With Kentucky's National Championship, the end to a March full of college basketball comes to end, and to many peoples sorrow, so does the madness that comes with it. Or does the madness end? While college basketball may be at its end, 16 NHL teams are preparing themselves for the playoffs. While last night, 8 teams from both conferences got etched into a playoff spot with only a game or two remaining, the seeds of these 16 teams can still change, which could have monumental effects on how teams do in the playoffs.

One interesting thing about seed shifting pertains to the 6th seed in each division. Since the NHL seeds the division winners as 1, 2, and 3 regardless of total points, it creates some interesting match ups that may actually favor the 6th seeds, and may cause them to not want to move up any further. For example, in the east, the Florida Panthers are atop their division with only 92 points. They would be going up against a 6th seeded New Jersey team who has (with still a game remaining) 100 points.
While it doesn't matter now with only a game remaining, the past week the Devils were in an interesting position. Do they continue to win and risk having to play a much tougher and division rival Pittsburgh Penguins team, or do they coast into the playoffs and play a d less offensively threatening Florida Panthers. Throughout the week, first year Devils head coach Peter Deboer was pried at by reporters asking whether or not this situation changed his strategy. He simply told the press that they were going to go out every night and try to win, and whatever happens, happens.

While it happened to work out in the Devils' favor, regardless of winning 6 of their last 10 games, my question for you guys is, would you do the same? With 7th seeded Ottawa a significant ways back, the Devils could have gone no lower than 6th and no higher than 5th. Would you choose to win and play a harder opponent, or coast into the playoffs securing an easier opponent?

-Kevin



Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Second Order Information: how today's technologies play games with our minds


            As I read an article for one of my classes on the way our modern world currently communicates, I really felt that the idea of “second order information,” as defined in Ilana Gershon’s article, “How Do You Know,”  really related to the idea of gaming. Second order information is an essential part of everyday communication. As it is “not what is actually said but rather the background knowledge of a situation and expectations of communication that allows one to interpret the words,” (Gershon, 2010; 123) it allows people to interpret and understand the actions and intentions of the person expressing a message through the choice of medium used and how it is expressed.  We use second order information every day as it plays an essential role in grasping the true meaning of a message by guiding us into understanding how particular words and statements should be interpreted. As Gershon gives examples that happen everyday such as Facebook and AIM statuses, away messages, relationship statuses, and updates that quote lines from songs and movies to express the way people feel, second order information in a sense has the power and ability to give a desired effect of a message while not directly stating it. For example, receiving a text message from a college roommate saying “Hey! There is something I want to talk to you about” is more casual and comfortable than receiving a typed up letter from them on your bed saying the same thing. While the former scenario seems like the roommate has something interesting or exciting to say, the medium in which the latter situation is used, seems more formal and serious, causing the recipient to feel as if there is a problem that the roommate wants to talk about. The medium in this scenario is crucial in understanding and interpreting the intended message.    
About a few days ago, I encountered an experience in which second order information drastically influenced the way I interpreted a message. I was talking to my friend on Blackberry Messenger when we began to debate about what time we were going to meet up for dinner. As we continued to disagree about the set time and I wrote her a long paragraph explanation of when I thought we should meet, she replied with a simple “Ok.” I then sent her a “?” as to express, “is that all you have to say to my long response?” I then saw that she read my “BBM” because of the check mark and capital “R” next to the last message I wrote meaning, “read” and did not answer. I understood this as her getting upset and making a dig at me by reading my message and not responding. Because of second order information, reading a message and not responding could mean one of either two things; she either read the BBM and did not answer purposefully in order to make a statement expressing she was annoyed at me, or she read the BBM and was busy doing something so she could not answer right away. Like Gershon explains in a similar example with denying friend requests on Facebook, this is a new way to “insult people that [you] now try to avoid” (Gershon, 2010, 131). It is clear that second order information is used daily in various if not all cases of communication as it allows us to understand and interpret a message through the means and medium in which a message is expressed.
            Thinking about this concept, I have realized that the assumptions that innately come along with second order information, are essentially a form of mind games. Because second order information requires you to interpret the tone, intent, and essential overall meaning of a message through a medium involving only text, there are endless ways to interpret the intent of the messenger by only being exposed to text. In my example via Blackberry Messenger, the fact that there was no possible way to be certain of the tone of the message, is ultimately what created conflict in my mind. It could have been that my friend was simply busy doing something and was unable to answer my response in great length, or she could have been trying to make a point that she was annoyed at the situation. Regardless of her true intent, I have realized that text messaging, AIM, IChat, Twitter, Facebook, or any other medium that involves simply using words without attaching voice to understand the tone, will create conflict when trying to be interpreted, essentially playing with one’s mind. While the new technologies of today’s world move farther and farther away from face to face contact, we must ultimately remember that while doing so, we are increasing the amount of second order information, essentially using mind games everyday! 

Monday, April 2, 2012

Bardio Competition

As a part of my regular daily workout routine, I go to a ballet bar class with a few of my friends. While I am naturally very motivated to do the daily routine of 6 excercises, each consisting of 30 second intervals of four sets, I am always competing with myself, trying to beat my limit from the last class. Whether it is doing high knees, and choosing a spot in the mirror where I want to get my knees to reach, or trying to progress in the number of push ups I could do in the 30 second intervals, there is no doubt that I am very competitive with myself. While it is obvious to everyone else in the class that I am always pushing myself to my fullest potential, I have in a sense established my role in the class as the most intense and competitive person among the regulars of the class. One girl even gave me the nickname "the energizer bunny."

Today, I walked into the class and took my normal spot on the front right. As i began to stretch before the class began, I noticed a new girl who had never been in any of my classes before. Assuming that she would not threaten my role in the class, I gave her a welcoming smile. Once the class began, everything changed.

As she constantly looked at me in the mirror while doing each workout move, our stares were enough to say "Back off, I will beat you." Thinking about it now, "beat you" at what? Isn't working out a personal and individual goal with ones self. So why was i getting so frustrated that this girl was openly competing with me; but then again, could it just be that I was playing a mind game with myself? After thinking about whether or not it was all in my head or there was in fact true competition, I finally realized; IT DOESN'T MATTER!  By the time these thoughts had settled in my mind, the class was over, and I had successfully completed it without for a moment dreading each move. While I was constantly in conflict with myself throughout the class, my thoughts were a way to distract me from dreading the class until the end. Therefore, my class had in a sense become a form of gaming for myself, making working out more enjoyable and effective!

Let It Fly



Talking about violence and sexism in class made me think back to my childhood. When I was younger I was influenced by my dad and older brother who lived and breathed sports. I was brought along to every practice, game, and sporting event my brother and dad attended and I loved it. I wanted to be just like my brother in every aspect of his life, from his clothes to the shows he watched to his after school activities. So, when I was denied the option to play football just like my older brother I was devastated. I always played with the guys at recess, always helped my brother practice, learned the ins and outs of the game from my dad, but when I turned the age when tackle football began I wasn't able to put my knowledge and skills to use. My dad tried to get me as close to playing as possible by entering me and my five tomboy friends into an all boys flag football tournament called Let It Fly. 

We were the only girls there, and ended up winning the championship, which resulted in a lot of boys left in tears at the thought of being beaten by girls. The next year they created a girl's league for our age which we were forced to play in, however it was not nearly as fun or challenging. 

While I was not scared of being hurt or not being able to "hang with the guys," in retrospect me being part of an aggressive tackle league would probably have ended in injury and defeat. I was not as strong, although just as tough, as my boy classmates, although I didn't see it like that at the time. From an early age, girls are not put into the same violent settings as boys such as tackle football and although it might seem sexist to raise a child with that mindset, I think it is more parents protecting their daughters and keeping them safe rather than setting them up for failure and injury. 

In class, we talked about a fundamental feature of sports being safety, however the unwritten rules of the game in sports like hockey or football add an uncontrollable violence that a girl might not be ready for at a young age. 

"Deep Play" and Trobriand Cricket


      Today's lecture on the discipline of Anthropology really brought back some memories of the Anthro 101 class I took last year. As I thought back to some of the topics we had discussed, a key term was brought to my attention from an article I had read by Clifford Geertz called, "Notes on the Balinese Cockfightn," was the idea of "Deep Play." 

In Clifford Geertz’s article, “Notes on the Balinese Cockfight,” Geertz explores the idea of deep play as something essential in understanding the true importance and significance of the Balinese cockfight. It is important when understanding the cockfight to take into account the two different levels of meaning it holds; the actual level, which can be apparent as viewed by onlookers and others who are not submerged in Balinese culture, as well as the metaphorical ritualistic level, one that gives social significance to the cockfight and must be understood as well in order to discover the true meaning of it. Geertz understands the importance of these two levels as “deep play,” both ideas that really relate to the concept of the "Magic Circle."  

            Along with the actual physical competition between different cocks, Geertz understands that cocks are also metaphors of competition and for the types of men their owners are. It also, “says something about Balinese social order, abstract hatred, masculinity, demonic power, status virtue” (Geertz 1973; 10). Cockfights are different from everyday affairs. They are set apart from ordinary course of life as they “provide a meta-social commentary upon the whole matter of assorting human beings into fixed hierarchical ranks and then organizing major part of collective existence around that assortment” (Geertz 1973; 10). Geertz points out the differences of social status through the act of the cockfight. While wealthy men are known to spend lots of money on preparing their cocks for the fight, Geertz also points out that there are many smaller cockfights that take place as well among lower class individuals. He then presents the idea that even women and children are represented through the practice of the cockfight as they make bets and cheer on from the sideline. It is evident that Balinese society can be represented and understood through the practice for this very reason.

            Geertz continues to define the idea of “deep play” through the rules and limits he puts on the cockfight. “The more a match is between near status equals and between high status individuals, the deeper the match…The deeper the match is, the less economic and the more a “status” view of gaming will be involved” (Geertz 1973; 10). By understanding the deeper meaning these rules address, outsiders of Balinese society are able to better understand the culture and significance the Balinese people put on the practice. Geertz definitely emphasizes the fact that understanding deep play is essential in understanding a cultural practice and addresses this idea by dissecting the Balinese cockfight.  

         Another game that relates to the idea of "deep play" is Trobriand Cricket. As the initial purpose for introducing Cricket was in hopes of colonizers to introduce a change in warfare style to Trobriand Islanders, making the practice act as a moralizing force, it soon evolved and transformed into something more for Trobriand Islanders and their culture. Like Geertz’s example of the Balinese cockfight, Trobriand cricket includes metaphors that give the practice a deeper significance and meaning as opposed to being simply a game. Because war was banned by colonizers of the time, this twist on the game of cricket allowed Trobriand Islanders to incorporate many of their traditional practices associated with war into a controlled environment. As an example of syncretism, Trobriand Cricket is in a sense a hybrid of two cultural forms, the original traditional culture of the Trobriand Islanders, as well as the new contribution from the colonizers, the game cricket. This aspect of the game definitely contributes to the deep meaning of the practice as a whole.    

One major theme this game addresses is the concept of power. The fact that the host team always wins despite the fact that the guest team could have won in reality, makes a statement about the type of competition the Trobriand Islanders crave. This rule is symbolic of the war-like environment they were deprived of after being colonized. By understanding this deeper aspect of the game, one understands that the game is no longer simply the recreational cricket game, but rather a symbol for something more meaningful to them.  

           Another main aspect of society that can be understood through this game is the role gender plays in the Trobriand Islands. Because women are only on the sideline watching and supporting the men playing, we understand how power is distributed among society and that political power is male centered. “The element of sexuality is displayed in dress, chants, and dances. The words are sexual metaphors used as one team taunts the young women on the sidelines” (Peters-Golden 2009; 252). Had one not understood the fact that only men are allowed to play the game, and the symbolism of these many aspects of the practice, they could possibly misunderstand this aspect of Trobriand society.

            Geertz’s definition of deep play definitely applies to the practice of Trobriand Cricket, as the deeper meaning it addresses of status competition, Trobriand Cricket is very similar to his identification of deep play in the sense that it attains a deeper layer of meaning to it as well. In this case, cricket expresses a message about the society of the Trobriand Islands, one that is competitive and proud. Although one may view the practice as a simple cultural dance, by understanding the rules and deeper meaning behind the act, they are able to further understand what kind of culture Trobriand Islanders have.

            Both the Cockfight and Trobriand Cricket express the idea of maximizing the individual, something only understood once taking a deeper look at the game. While the Balinese cockfight represents the social status of each individual based on how much money they spend on preparing their cock for a fight and how their cock performs, Trobriand Cricket attempts to maximize the individual through their own performance of the practice as well as the communal significance the game stands for. 

            Although Trobriand Cricket and the Balinese cockfight are two drastically different practices that hold different purposes and have different intentions, they are quite similar because of Geertz’s understanding of deep play. Both practices clearly make a statement about their relative cultures, morals, and societies. By understanding not only the evident aspect of each practice, but also the metaphorical deeper meaning each practice represents, one is able to get a better sense of the whole picture.
           








The Second City Mainstage: See the Funniest People in the World Before Everybody Else Knows They're The Funniest People in the World

I suppose that tagline is a bit verbose, but I assure you, it is apt. At 1:00 pm on Saturday March 31st, the RCPlayers Improv Troupe gathered departed to the Mecca of Improvisation, Chicago. By 7:30 am on April 1st, we had returned, and had packed more funny into one sleep cycle than recommended by the Surgeon General.

The Second City breeds funny people. Based in Chicago, the hub of sketch and improvisation has churned out more SNL alum than any other training center and sells out their main stage every single night. This year they performed their 100th revue, loosely entitled, "Who Do We Think We Are?" I say the title is loose because, although the show debuted in January, they build and rework their sketches constantly. How do they do it? Well gersh darn it, IMPROV! Two thirds of the show we saw was completely scripted sketch material, the last third was completely improvised. I am proud to say they used one of my suggestions, gumball machine, to do an musical improv game. It is here I shall focus.

When the scene began, one man was pantomiming working on some sort of device while his supposed lady friend watched. At this point in the scene, very little is happening. The battle at the top of any improvised scene is to find out what the true meat of the scene will be. Most of the time, this is fueled partially by the relationship of the characters within the scene. But there needs to be something else. Something that makes this scene unique. We call that, "the game." CHAD, THIS CLASS IS ABOUT GAMES AND YOU JUST USED THE WORD GAME. I know. It's pretty awesome. In the previously mentioned scene, the man working on the device, which we learn to be a gumball machine, fixes it and proves to his lady friend that he is a man and can fix things. She then comments on the fact that he may be a man in this case, but has hardly been one in the bedroom of late. Ooo, our relationship has taken quite the twist, and now these characters have a specific issue to discuss. But still, it remains relatively undynamic. Suddenly, we learn part of his issue with their bedroomness is that she wants to be called strange names during their stuffs. BOOM. Strange names in bed? Isn't that something that gets a guy in trouble? Yes. And that's why it's interesting. They found their game. Each continue to one up the quirks of the other, being very funny in the process. Also, THEY DID IT IN SONG. Improvising is hard, people. Singing is hard, people. IMPROVISED SINGING IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. These people did it. They even harmonized at one point. Yeah. It was crazy.

For anybody who actually read this entire post, I like you a lot, and I reward you with a thank you and a link to the Second City website.

http://www.secondcity.com/

Thank you

Chad Rhiness

Monday, March 26, 2012

If a Martian came to Earth, what would they conclude about Earth's languages?

So in today's lecture, Robin Queen mentioned something about a famous linguist (who's name slips my mind) who was famous for asking the question. "if a martian came to earth, what would they conclude about Earth's languages".

That made me think about the book "Ender's Shadow", which I read for my book quest. While this is not my book quest and I don't want to give the whole background of the book, the important point for this post is that 70 years before the book takes place, the Earth was almost destroyed by an alien race known as the Buggers. A key difference between the Buggers and humans, besides the insect resemblance of the buggers' bodies, are the styles of communication. Unlike humans, the buggers don't speak, they rather have a direct connection to what all the others are thinking, the thinking is controlled by the queen.

                                                   (anti-bugger propaganda)



Before reading this book (well the prequel "Ender's Game"), I was always caught up simply on whether or not there was other life out there, not even considering the fact that if there in fact was, that their style of communication would be something completely different than ours. Now, the point of this post isn't to start up some debate over possibilities of alien life. I rather want to focus on asking the question, could they conclude anything from our language? They may not even the physical abilities to be capable of understanding our language, just like we may have no way of understanding them. Any thoughts?

Sunday, March 25, 2012

The Olympics: What Have They Become?

After Professor Babiak came to talk to us about the Olympics, I began to think about what role these bi-annual games play in the lives of people across the globe. For years, both the summer and winter versions of the Olympics were outlets for the best athletes from hundreds of countries to display their skills on a world stage. There was a certain romance that existed within the games, and it was infrequent to hear people question the legality of certain events. However, in the last ten to fifteen years, it seems as though scandals have flood the Olympics to a point where the entire spectacle feels impure.

In recent Olympics, no sport has been free of scandal. In 2002, a French figure skating judge admitted to being pressured to pick a Russian couple to win the pairs event regardless of the results, when many felt that the Canadian team of Jamie Sale and David Pelletier deserved to win. The scandal took on an even greater presence when the judge attempted to retract these statements, causing further controversy and chaos. More recently, in the summer games in Beijing in 2008, serious questions were raised about the ages of some of the Chinese women gymnasts, who appeared to be much younger than their reported age. Regardless of the truth in either of these cases, the public attention brought to these scandals severely tainted the result of the respective competitions. Gymnastics and figure skating, long two of the Olympics purest and most graceful sports, have been tainted by recent controversies, raising the question: what has happened to the Olympics?

I grew up a huge fan of the Olympics. I have distinct memories of watching every Olympics starting at just six years old, with the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Therefore, when faced with the question of how relevant or “believable” the Olympics are now, I will admit I am the first to come to their defense. Sure, there is no shortage of scandal in every sport across both kinds of games, but I am hesitant to think that these take away the legitimacy of winning a gold medal. After all, I find it hard to believe that there has been a true increase in scandals in Olympics of recent years, and instead believe it can be better attributed to the increase in media and the speed of news travel over the last thirty years. In our class discussion of the Olympics, we came up with at least ten downsides of the modern games, also known as reasons one might not want to watch. Many of these reasons had to do with scandal, yet viewership for both the Winter and Summer Games has continued to increase. So, while we may be more skeptical of the results we see, my opinion is that the Olympics are no worse than they were decades ago, when scandals were more rare and less reported.

What does everyone else think?

- Alex Jacobs

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Is Taking Adderall Considered Cheating?


As second semester exams and papers are beginning to reach the top of our “To-Do” lists, an interesting topic came up as a group of my friends and I were talking today. While I already know my “competition” against the people who start studying or drafting a paper weeks in advance, and those who like the adrenaline and pressure of cramming the night before, there is one type of student who I have never considered before; the Adderall-taker. While there are many people who have been prescribed to this self- enhancing drug for legitimate medical reasons, there are also the many who take it without the medical need to. I cannot help but ask myself; Is this a form of cheating? Is it fair that I, who puts all my time and energy in reviewing and studying for my tests well in advanced, am going up against people who don't even try and pop the pill the night before a test? Is it fair that I, who studied for months in advance in order to get the right timing down to successfully complete each section of the SAT in time, ended up with the same or maybe even a lower score as people who were able to focus for the entire 4 hour test straight as a result of this self-enhancing drug? As these questions began to circulate my mind, I thought of how this scenario may be very similar to “doping” before playing in a sporting event. What makes this different from Barry Bonds taking the national home run record as a result of “doping”? And what kind of message is this sending to college students today? It is clear that taking these types of medications help make students focus as well as enhance their cognitive performance, so the question still remains, is taking Adderall considered cheating in the overall game of school? I will leave that up for discussion, just something to think about…  
- Brigitte

Monday, February 13, 2012

Skyrim Struggles

Hey guys,
So one of my roommates had gotten the game Skyrim for Christmas. Unfortunately for him, his Playstation crapped out on him early in January losing all of his gameplay up to that point. He recently received another console and has since started to replay what he has already played in order to get back to where he was. So when Sheila Murphy was talking in lecture today about how gaming isn't always fun, I immediately thought of my roommate and his complaining on how he has had to retrace his steps. While things right now may be tedious for him and not so much fun, I'm sure once he gets back to where he was, his fun will pick back up!

                                                   http://gadafiny.blogspot.com/2011/11/elder-scrolls-skyrim-walkthrough-part-1.html

-Kevin
A few images from a World... a World of Warcraft. This is my avatar from long ago. His name is Enocap.




Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Freedom and Creativity: Friends or Enemies?

Hey gang,

I finished watching the Second Life TED video and it left me feeling strange. For the extent of my video gaming life, which began with my father's old Atari at a very young age, I have admired creativity in video games. Story and cinematic quality are huge selling points for me, so I end up enjoying fantasy and action games more than sports games. I actually really hate sports games. Great. These guys can shoot a basketball. Who cares? There are games where I can battle dragons in the land of Skyrim with enchanted weapons while being willed onward by a Nordic choir. Yeah. Nuff said.

But this Second Life game doesn't have a story. You make the story yourself. My first thought is, "Awesome! I get to make the game whatever I want!" And that is another appealing part of games like Skyrim. It's open. I can choose to do a quest at my leisure, or I can craft weapons, or take out my frustration on unsuspecting mud crabs because I didn't mean she was fat, I meant she looked fat that day and IT'S THE CRABS' FAULT SHE'S MAD AT ME!

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Mud_Crab

This blog is slowly revealing some of my deeper issues.

To the real point. If the freedom of a game begins to overwhelm the story of a game, the story becomes unnecessary. As a person who hopes to do creative work of some sort someday, maybe even writing a video game, this is a bit frightening. I hope that story structure will always be important in video games, but Second Life doesn't need a story. It's isolating the fact that people use video games to escape from real world limitations, even the limitation of a story in other video games they may play, and giving them pure freedom. Hopefully there will always be people like me who have a soft spot for quality creative work, but perhaps this is the future.

Thanks for reading.

XOXO

Chad Rhiness


Friday, February 3, 2012

Spinning Down the Competition


This morning I decided to try out a spinning class in Ann Arbor with three of my friends. Starting off slowly, we all began to get adjusted to the pace of the class and the logistics of how the class worked. As the intensity began to rise in the room, I began to realize how much I was socially comparing myself to the other riders. Not only did I keep boosting up my resistance on the bike in order to get a bigger workout, but I also kept pushing faster and harder in order to in a sense “beat” the other riders in my speed. I began to think about what it was that was motivating me to push harder. Although my “competition” included my friends who are all female, this did not matter as I was trying to outdo them on a competitive level. Next, I noticed the class size. There were about 9-10 people and the instructor. This factor could have been a reason that I felt like I had “a chance” to beat the other riders. This was the first time I was consciously aware of the “N- Effect” taking place in a personal situation.  As I socially compared myself with everyone else, I thought of the three factors that influence social- comparison-based competitive behavior: (a) importance of the performance dimension (Festinger, 1954; Tesser, 1988), (b) commensurability of the target with the actor (Goethals & Darley, 1977), and (c) the closeness of the relationship between the target and actor (Tesser, 1988).  The goal was obviously to get a good workout and spin fast and hard, and I was able to measure and compare my speed with that of others as I constantly looked in the mirror in order to compare myself to the rest of the riders. Although I felt like I was competing with the entire class, my main focus was to beat my three other friends. This is an interesting thing to note, as my closeness with them in comparison to with the other riders in the class played a significant role in my motivation to succeed. Although not even considered a “game,” the spnning class definitely made me socially compare myself by creating my own mind game of winning a “race” against the rest of the class. Not only did I win this race, but I guess you could also say I burned some extra calories while doing it!



Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Film Set Competition

Hey gang,

I'm working on an Independent Study Film right now. It's really fun, and there are a lot of talented people working on it. Many of them are in the theater school. I am not. Not because the theater school isn't good or anything, but it kinda seems like a particular type of person is in the theater school and I'm not that person... I digress. The point is that these people are talented and we are working toward a common goal of making this movie as awesometastic as we can. I don't feel like I should be competative with any of them, and with most I am not, however, I have noticed that I am with one particular person. This person happens to be a female. Her role is smaller than mine, but the director has allowed her to do many extra improvised takes. We take time out of the day to let her do these shots. I love improv. And here's the kicker. All of the takes are really funny. She's good. Really good. But I want to be able to do improvised takes too!

So I take these thoughts home and push them through the lens of this class. I believe I am more competative with this particular person because I am so very passionate about improv. Also, I prolly want to be the funniest person on set, which is selfish and mildly dickish, but if I'm not honest with my blog for games class then who can I be honest with? Our similarities made me more competative. Even in a room of intimidating theatery people, I compete most with the person who I share more interests with than anybody else.

Questions for the rest of the world. Do you think her gender matters? I'm still figuring that into the equation. She's female, which isn't like me, but somehow it makes me feel slightly more threatened. How can this film set be translated into a game? Maybe I can save that for another post, but it seems like an interesting idea to me.

Here's a picture of set. Hooray!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Club Hockey Game

Some of the game changers enjoyed an action packed club hockey game Friday night, in which Michigan faced off against Miami, Go Blue!